Sages of Song
by Ariana Aislinn
Summary: Trouble brews on the horizon, and all the sages are beginning to sense it. Scattered around Hyrule, they gather at the Temple of Sages, wondering what is wrong... A sort of prologue, inspired by WindWaker. Some spoilers. Enjoy!
1. The Wind Stirs

**_Sages of Song_**  
By Ariana Aislinn  


Disclaimer:  
The Legend of Zelda and its characters are the property of Nintendo. This is a work of fanfiction, for fun only and not for profit. Read, and hopefully enjoy…and if you feel so inclined, please review! I am always looking for ways to improve my writing.

Chapter 1:  
_The Wind Stirs_

Her footsteps falling softly on the polished and gleaming tile floor, the graceful, piscine form of the Sage of Earth walked smoothly through the Hall of Sages, the depths of her pure blue eyes, lacking whites or pupils, lost in thought. Her jewelry jangled softly in time with the gentle _swish, swish_ of her priestess' robes, and she carried her golden harp tucked under one arm, more out of habit than of any need to play it.

A soft sound called her back from whatever philosophical question currently occupied her mind. Turning curiously, she followed the lively pluck of strings, her head-tail and arm-fins twitching slightly in response to the distant sound of music.

Laruto, the sage representing the Zora race, walked unhurriedly down a few more hallways and into the common room, where she looked in curiously. Soft sunlight filtered in through the high windows of the great stone walls. The fireplace of the great hall stood empty this afternoon, the late spring sunshine making added warmth unnecessary. Comfortable chairs and a few long tables were scattered here and there, and in one corner stood a youth, one foot standing on a footstool and the other on the floor, as he played softly but joyfully at his unusual, custom-made fiddle. The instrument seemed to be made from a living leaf, firm as wood, with a bow that resembled nothing so much as a long, slender tree branch. Laruto stopped, standing in the doorway with her hands clasped together around the frame of her harp, listening contentedly until the song was finished. It was a prancing, whirling jig that seemed to spiral up to the rafters and down again, playing tag with the sunbeams.

The fiddler was a boy, though his appearance was deceptive. One of the eternal children known as the Kokiri, Fado was the Sage of Wind, and he had lived fully a hundred years, at least. Yet there was nothing but childlike joy and innocence on his face as he played, eyes closed and mouth quirked in a playful grin. His yellow-blond hair was slightly out of place, and his pointed green cap was askew, giving him a jaunty air.

Fado finished his song with a twirling flourish, then lowered his bow and opened his eyes. If he was surprised to see Laruto standing there, softly clapping, he showed no sign of it. Smiling brightly, he gave her a questioning look. "Well?"

"Lovely, Fado. What do you call it?"

"Hmm." The boy gazed out the window thoughtfully. "You know, I haven't decided yet. Let me know if you think of anything, will you, Laruto?"

"Of course." With the unruffled grace so characteristic of her, the Sage of Earth crossed the room and took a seat in a cushioned armchair. "What news is there today? I confess I have spent much of the day in my room, reading, and I have missed much."

"Oh, not much." Fado pulled a large wooden case, with twigs and leaves apparently still growing out of the living wood, from behind the chair and began to carefully put his instrument away. "We did have word from Daydra, though only a short message."

"Ah. How fares the young Sage of Fire?"

The Kokiri chuckled. "Same as ever — getting into as much trouble as a young Hylian girl possibly can. I hear she was challenged to a competition of some sort after her boasting and bragging. A footrace, I think it was. All I can say is, she'd better not lose all her money betting on it; I'm not lending her any more!"

"And you are one to talk? When she is here at the Temple, I seem to recall you winning a great deal off of her, then lending it back to her. So generous." Laruto's eyes twinkled mischievously.

Fado bowed slightly, a mocking grin on his face. "Well, I mostly just do it to take her down a notch, you know. Don't get me wrong, I love Daydra dearly. But she really is awfully hotheaded — even worse than me, and at times, that's saying something."

Laruto shrugged, her fins rising and falling as if upon a wave. "Well, she is only fifteen. Have some patience."

"Oh, I have all the patience in the world. I just hope she finishes her task and returns home soon with the books from the Sestrian Library. It's really not safe to be out wandering the fields of Hyrule alone these days, you know."

Laruto sighed. "I do, and it troubles me. I have been thinking of calling a meeting of the sages when Daydra and the others return from their latest journeys. Perhaps there is something we can do. All the attacks on travelers, the famine in the east and that troublesome epidemic up north...I feel a storm is coming."

"Hey," Fado protested, "don't look so serious! All right, I can see the clouds may be moving in over Hyrule, but we've still time to sort out what's going on. Yes, a meeting is a good idea, but don't worry about it until we can actually act. You'll get wrinkles before your time." He grinned. "I know what you need — a good game of spirals. I've got a board and some stones in my room; shall I fetch them? We can break out a bit of that berry wine I've been saving, too, make an occasion of it. It's not like there's anything else to do, with only that crotchety old Elges here for company, holed up in his room with his scrolls."

"That sounds a fine idea." The Zora nodded. "But perhaps later we should at least invite the Sage of Ice to join us. A bit of fresh air might do him good; we should eat supper outside, I think."

Fado grinned and lifted his fiddle case, the instrument packed safely away. "Right then, I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere!" With that, he rushed off.

Laruto laced her fingers together on her lap and waited patiently, her gaze drifting to the beams of sunlight that filtered in through the window. It was bright and cheerful now, yes, and it was best to enjoy it while it lasted. Still, she could sense that trouble was coming...


	2. The Earth Pounds

Author's Notes:

Thanks for the reviews, those of you who have posted them so far! Here's the latest chapter, although I must admit I'm not quite satisfied with it, although I can't put my finger on why, exactly. So please, review, and be brutal! This fanfic is actually sort of an exercise for me. I've been doing way too much research on my writing lately, and not enough actual writing, so I tried to sit down and quickly think up a story idea from scratch, just to get busy writing something, anything. So I know it won't be perfect, and please, do rip it to shreds. I won't mind, and I need the practice. ^_^

And actually, I had not planned on there being any romance in this story...but I'm sort of making it up as I go, so you never know! Warning, however, I don't throw romance around casually in most of my recent stories, so if you do see it, it will be very understated. However, I am working on another fanfic that I may post soon that has some Link/Zelda interaction in it. Well, I've been way too wordy, and this is supposed to be a _chapter,_ not a speech. :P So on with the fic!

Chapter 2:  
_The Earth Pounds_

Daydra's rust-red hair, tangled and mussed and messily tied back in something that resembled a ponytail, streamed out behind her as she sprinted down the road. Just ahead of the young Hylian ran Gindro, the long-legged man who was hailed as the fastest runner in the city of Sestris. Daydra cursed to herself as she realized that she had made a mistake this time. For all of her boasting, she was no match for this man. She'd kept up at first, but she was beginning to lag behind, and the way he still breathed easily as he loped along, she knew she'd never catch up to him now.

She gave it her best effort, at least, but Gindro crossed the finish line when she still had half the length of the field to go. Daydra kept running, not wanting to stop before she finished the race, but she slowed to a halt as soon as she crossed the line scratched in the dirt, bending at her knees and gasping for breath. "All right! You win. I was outclassed this time."

Gindro, who was some ten years the senior of the fifteen-year-old, grinned. "Maybe next time you'll be able to see with your own eyes what everyone else can tell merely by looking," he chuckled as he accepted her money. "Although I will say, squirt, that you did a fair job of it. Keep practicing and training, and maybe a few years down the road, you'll be the one taking some overconfident kid's money."

Daydra winced, her ire rising, but she quelled it. Normally she would have given in, but this time she knew she was in a hurry. She'd just handed over a good deal of the money she would need to get home, so now it was doubly important that she waste no time. She only muttered and walked away as the older man just laughed good-naturedly and began to stroll back to the village, whistling to himself.

Walking back to the starting line, Daydra picked up her pack and checked its contents. A large stack of books took up most of the space inside and made it extremely heavy, but there was also a small bag of rations for her journey — enough for two days, maybe, if she were careful not to get greedy. She tied her waterskin to her belt and shouldered her pack, then started walking, despite how tired she already was. It was still early in the day, and she could cover plenty of ground if she started now.

Though she was only fifteen, the girl was the Sage of Fire in the Temple of Sages in Hyrule's capital city. To be honest, some of the other sages often questioned if it had been a mistake, but the naming of new sages was a mysterious process, and some of the strangest candidates were chosen. There had been younger, after all; the Zora boy who had preceded Elges as Sage of Ice had been only ten when he was named. Anyone was welcome to enter the Temple on the Day of Choosing and touch the Naming Stone, which hummed when it found a new sage. Some of the most unlikely sages had done some of the greatest deeds, in ages past.

Daydra knew she was in a precarious position, however. It was not unheard of for a Sage to be deposed and replaced, and for a time there, she had come close to that point. Her impetuosity was a danger to all around her, but in the last few months, she'd been working hard to control herself and her temper. So far, so good, but she had a funny feeling that there was more at stake than just her position as a sage. If she couldn't do her job properly, listen to the advice of the older sages, or be serious about her role, other people could be hurt.

There'd been attacks on travelers recently, which was another reason Daydra had to hurry and get as far as she could before nightfall. She'd had the rudiments of training in self-defense with the simple dagger she carried, but sages were not fighters, and the rumors said that it had been monsters behind the attacks, not mere bandits and highwaymen. In fact, Daydra was supposed to have hired an escort, but with most of her money gone, she could only hurry home as fast as possible. It wasn't entirely her fault — the fee for borrowing books from the library in Sestris had been much higher than expected.

Daydra's small set of three hand-drums, tied to the straps of her pack, thumped dully against the bulk of books inside. The books spoke of prophecies made in times past, as well as religion and mythology. Laruto had requested most of them; she seemed to be doing some sort of research, and although she hadn't said what it was about, Daydra was worried. She seldom saw the Zora woman so stern as when she was frowning to herself and pacing the library at the Temple. That, and a strange feeling that ran through her whenever she played her drums in time with the music of the other sages, suggested to Daydra that something was wrong. Was the Triforce in danger, or perhaps the Master Sword? Both were the responsibility of the sages to protect.

Since her drums were tied up and out of the way, and she could not play them as she walked in any case, Daydra began to tap out a complicated rhythm against the side of her dusty, wrinkled, brown traveling skirt of practical, heavy-woven cotton. Her rather oversized, freckled nose wrinkled up almost comically as she concentrated, trying to work out the beat to a particularly complicated piece that Fado had been working on when she left. Her footsteps fell into tempo with her tapping, and she began to walk faster, steadily heading closer to home. She would stop only at dusk, hopefully reaching the town of Bisren before then. By tomorrow evening she should be home, if she hurried.

Somehow she felt that time was marching faster than her drumming footsteps...


	3. The Flames Spread

Author's Notes:

I'm sorry it's been so long since I updated! I've had no inspiration for a long time, but I finally decided I'd better bite the bullet and come up with a proper chapter. I finally have some concrete ideas for the future plot, too, so hopefully more chapters will be forthcoming soon!

Chapter 3:  
_The Flames Spread_

Daydra reached Bisren without incident, fortunately, although it was long past dark when she wearily plodded into the town's single inn. After a short exchange with the innkeeper, who was serving drinks in the common room, she parted with most of the remains of her money. She sighed in exasperation; her travel rations were getting stale, but there wasn't enough to buy a decent dinner. She leaned against the counter as the innkeeper went into the other back room to fetch her room key. "Forty rupees is far too much for a room for just one person," she muttered to herself.

"For a small village like this, it is a bit much," a friendly voice agreed from off to Daydra's right. Pricking up her ears, she turned to look; that sounded like…

"Ianto!"

A tall, lanky young man waved from his seat nearby, smiling warmly. "I thought that looked like you, Daydra. What are you doing here…and arriving so late at night?" He raised an eyebrow. "Do you have an escort?"

Daydra flushed. "I er…ran out of money." Ianto frowned, but she refused to explain. Her temper was well known to her friends, and this wasn't the first time she'd wasted precious rupees on a stupid bet. There was no need to go into it now, so she changed the subject. "When did you arrive?"

"This afternoon. I'm on my way back to the capital to pick up some more supplies—we ran out of medicine. Messengers don't always get through nowadays, though, so I didn't dare send for more. I decided it was best to fetch it myself, to make certain it arrived safely."

Daydra nodded. Ianto had been up in the northern valleys for the last three months, doing what he could to help the towns and villages afflicted by the strange epidemic that had hit northern Hyrule within the last year. The Sage of Light was a friendly young man in his early twenties, with a warm personality and an open smile on his face that belied his sharp features. He had a sloped forehead, skin of a rich tan color with shades of olive green, piercing, amber eyes. Ianto was a Gerudo—the only Gerudo male to be born within the last hundred years, as was the way of his race. His father was still alive, ruling as the current king of the desert people, although truth be told, the Gerudo nowadays were mostly democratic. The Gerudo king was more of a chief, served by a council of advisors. The race also had more peaceful relations with the rest of Hyrule than it had in the past, due to many years of dedicated diplomacy. The Sages were partly responsible for this.

Just then the innkeeper returned with Daydra's key. She thanked him, then dropped her belongings on the floor next to Ianto's table and slid into the seat across from him. The table was well chosen; the fire crackled nearby, driving away the slight chill of the spring evening. Daydra eyed the crumb-filled plate pushed to one side that was the remains of Ianto's dinner.

Ianto chuckled. "I know what you're thinking. Sure, I'll lend you some money for dinner. I hear the stew is awfully good tonight."

Daydra grinned her thanks, signaling a barmaid and ordering a large bowl of the recommended stew before turning back to continue her conversation with her fellow Sage. "Well, it's just as well that you're headed back to the capital. I think Laruto was considering calling everyone back for a conference, anyway. She's really very worried, you know."

"Oh?" Ianto frowned. "What now?"

"Same as usual, only it's getting worse. There've been more raids, monster attacks, minor epidemics similar to the larger one up north…all kinds of problems. Ah, thank you." The barmaid had brought Daydra's dinner, and she dug in with gusto, scooping up the stew with slices of bread. "This sure beats trail rations. Anyway, things just aren't going too well. I'm not sure what we can do about it, but Laruto thinks we need to discuss it with everyone there. The Sages aren't powerless yet; there's got to be _something_ we can do."

"Hmm…but what?" Ianto tapped his chin thoughtfully. "And the Master Sword?"

"Safe, when I left. No change. Still, I get a funny feeling when I look at it. I can't really explain. I just know something's kind of…well, wrong."

The young man shrugged, covering a yawn. "Odd. Well, Daydra, I do hope you'll forgive me if I pay for your meal and then retire; it's been a long day's walk, and I'm exhausted."

"And whatever happened to riding, hmm?"

Ianto groaned. "Oh Daydra, do stop it. You know I don't like horses!"

She giggled. "Imagine, a grown man afraid of a pony. And a Gerudo, at that…the race famed for their horseback archery and their fiery desert thoroughbreds!"

"It was _not_ a pony. It was a good-sized, irritable stallion!"

"Sure, Ianto. Whatever you say. But it was still a pony, and I'm never going to let you live it down."

The tall Gerudo made a face at Daydra, then tried to bite back another huge yawn. "Oh dear, I'd really better head up to my room. I'll meet you for breakfast, shall I? We go the rest of the way home together."

"A good plan, I think." She waved to him between bites of stew. "Good night, Ianto; sleep well."

He gave her a good-natured nod, then headed upstairs, stopping only to pay for their meals before trudging up to his room, yawning widely again.

Daydra polished off her meal, enjoying every bite, but once it was gone and she was no longer concentrating on eating, she had time to think. Ianto was usually a cheerful, good-natured young man, but to someone who knew him as well as Daydra, it had been obvious that something weighed heavily on his mind. Things didn't seem to be going well at all up north. _Just one more problem on top of all our other troubles,_ she thought, pushing her dishes aside and gathering her things to head upstairs. _Hopefully we'll be able to come up with some ideas when all the Sages return to the Temple._

Well, tomorrow was another day, filled with walking. Daydra headed up to bed, trying to put aside her concerns until the morning.


End file.
